The City of Frankfurt
Flying High in Frankfurt...
Officially named as Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt is a metropolis and the largest city in the German state of Hesse and also the 5th largest city of Germany, after Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne. Frankfurt has a population of 736,414 in the city, and the entire metropolitan region with over 5.5milion inhabitants as of December 2016. Frankfurt is a very culturally diverse city, with the majority of the population consisting of young people, including foreign nationals, expatriates, and students. In addition, Frankfurt is also the financial capital of the country and the largest financial center in Europe. Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and several larger commercial banks. In short, Frankfurt is the "Wall Street" of Europe.
Frankfurt for students.
If you are a student planning to go on exchange or to live in Frankfurt, there are some things you might want to know to help you decide on your big move:
Frankfurt is a really well-connected city.
Frankfurt hosts the 4th largest airport in Europe, which makes traveling in and out of Europe very easy for the travel lovers. It also has the busiest train stations in Europe. Going to a city by bus and car is also very easy. You can travel to and from the Netherlands (or any other city in Europe) by bus for a little as €7 with FlixBus if you keep an eye out for their weekly specials.
Fantastische Universitäten (Fantastic Universities).
Frankfurt is home to seven universities, such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe University that consists of four campuses with studies ranging from Fine Arts up to Medical Science and Dentistry. The University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt offers around fifty-seven courses in four faculties: architecture and civil engineering, business and law, social work and health, computer science and engineering. According to Studying in Germany, the university challenges its students to work hard towards a clear purpose – immediately after finishing your studies, you are bound to start practicing and sharing your skills. Furthermore, there is the University of Music and Performing Arts, The Städelschule of Visual Arts, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. Frankfurt has probably all studies students are interested in, to say the least.
Frankfurt isn’t cheap.
Naturally, by being Europe's financial capital, living in Frankfurt comes at a not-so-cheap price. Prices for rent excl. facilities can range from €400 to €1000. However, if you’re smart enough, you can save hundreds if you share an apartment with flatmates. Choosing to live outside of the city also cuts down your cost drastically. It's also mandatory to have a public transportation pass; a monthly subscription will cost you around €80 monthly. Regardless of the expensive housing and transportation prices, you can still survive in Frankfurt as the cost of food in the supermarkets are cheaper, such as a bottle of milk being less than €1 and a loaf of bread being €2. Beer in a bar will cost you about €4 a glass but a can in the supermarket is <€1. The good thing is that you can drink it freely on the street without any problem with the authorities.
Things to do in Frankfurt
Besides studying and drinking beer on the streets of Frankfurt, the city is known for its skyscrapers. The skyline resembles Manhattan, which is why the city is nicknamed “Mainhattan”. Frankfurt is also widely known for its international fairs, for instance, the Frankfurt Book Fair that takes place every October; heaven for book lovers. For those who are more into shopping rather than reading, the "Zeil" is the best-known street in Frankfurt where you can shop until you drop. On the rooftop of the “Zeilgalerie”, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Frankfurt. That is where you can see the perfect contrast between modernity and tradition with skyscrapers on one side and the Frankfurt Cathedral on the other.
Fun facts about Frankfurt
14/15 tallest skyscrapers in Germany stand in Frankfurt;
Over one in four Frankfurters are foreign;
Goethe was born there;
The Opera House used to be considered Germany’s Most Beautiful Ruin;
Frankfurt airport’s baggage system is 67km long;
It is the home of the Frankfurter.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blogpost are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of Phryme Magazine.